Geography of South Korea

South Korea, a country of eastern Asia. It occupies the southern part of the Korean peninsula, between the Sea of Japan on the east and the Yellow Sea on the west. In 1945, Korea was divided into two countries—the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). They are separated by a demilitarized zone, about 2½ miles (4 km) in width, along the armistice line established in 1953 at the close of the Korean War.

Flag and coat of arms: South Korea's flag has a white background with a red-and-blue yin-yang symbol in the center. The ancient yin-yang symbol represents the balance in the universe between opposites—such as night and day, and life and death. There are four different I Ching symbols in each corner of the flag. In the coat of arms, yellow flowers encircle the yin-yang symbol.